Rebekha Sharkie says solar battery program was ALP pork barrelling

SA MP Rebekha Sharkie says FOI documents reveal a major issue with an Albanese Government flagship election pledge.

One of the federal government’s flagship renewable energy policies has been slammed as a pork barrelling tactic to target marginal seats and shore up Labor ground.

Independent MP Rebekha Sharkie said it was “worse” than the “sports rorts” affair that embroiled the Morrison government and former sports minister Bridget McKenzie.

Her claims emerged as the Environment Department confirmed it had no input in selecting the initial suburbs eligible for the $200m solar battery program.

Forty-three of the first 58 suburbs eligible for grants worth up to $500,000 each to install community solar batteries are within electorates that either Labor held before the May 2022 election or were considered marginal.

Six others were in key Liberal-held seats with margins of less than 10 per cent, and nine were in “safe” Coalition electorates.

Just two SA suburbs were selected for community batteries, capable of supporting 250 homes each. They were Edwardstown in the marginal seat of Boothby and Magill in Liberal-held Sturt, where incumbent MP James Stevens’s margin was slashed from 6.9 per cent to 0.5 per cent at the election.

Labor plans to roll out a further 342 batteries in the $200m program.

Labor hasn’t won the seat of Boothby since the 1940s.

But this Saturday, history can be made.

If you’re in Adelaide, please get behind Louise Miller-Frost - Labor for Boothby. I joined her on pre-poll today and there was lots of support for her.

Let’s get it done on May 21! pic.twitter.com/51uZOsU7B6

— Chris Bowen (@Bowenchris) May 17, 2022

A Freedom of Information note obtained by Ms Sharkie confirms the Environment Department had no say on the locations for the first 58.

After it was requested to provide documents relating to the selection criteria for the initial suburbs eligible for Community Batteries for Household Solar Program, the department wrote back to say such papers did not exist.

Mayo MP Rebekha Sharkie has hit out against the solar program. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“These selections were determined by the Australian Labor Party while in opposition, prior to the May 2022 federal election,” wrote the department’s head of renewables, James White.

“The department was not involved in these decisions and therefore has no records or documents which show the criteria applied and processes involved in making and approving the selection of eligible locations and organisations.”

During the election campaign, Labor held press conferences in several of the 58 suburbs to announce the batteries.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen pictured on April 29, 2022, promising a community battery for Narara in the marginal NSW seat of Robertson while he was in opposition. Dr Gorden Reid (right) won the seat off the Liberal Party at the election.

Ms Sharkie, the member for Mayo, said it was clear “electoral politics” was “most likely the only factor” when determining the initial eligible suburbs.

“It appears no analysis was undertaken to determine which locations across Australia were most in need or which locations would deliver the best community and economic return,” she said.

Ms Sharkie said it was “just as bad, if not worse”, than the Morrison government’s “sports rorts” saga, which was sparked when her former political opponent Georgina Downer was photographed presenting a novelty cheque to Yankalilla Bowling Club in 2019.

Applications have closed for the first two streams of the grant program, which will fund one community battery in each of the 58 suburbs.

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen told federal parliament on Wednesday it was unsurprising the Environment Department would have no involvement in the opposition’s scheme.

He said the Australian Renewable Energy Agency would be calling for tenders and expressions of interest for the remaining 350 sites next week.

“Yes, they were election commitments that will be delivered and I’m happy to report … that the process of determining the service providers who will deliver (them) is well in advance,” he said.

“Oppositions make election commitments, yes we do. Governments when elected then deliver on those election commitments. So those 58 sites will be delivered.

“The rest of those sites are open for tender from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency … in the first week of April.”

His spokesman later declined to say if the party purposely targeted marginal seats and its own electorates.

A spokeswoman for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese referred inquiries to Mr Bowen’s office.

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